Beyond the times
by Supersilver46
Summary: The year is 1999, and the minister of magic has been killed in a violent attack, that the wizards blame on the muggles. Behind the scenes, certain players are taking advantage of the situation, using war as a way to further their agendas. Can two people from different worlds put an end to the war?


Hermione Granger groaned as her alarm clock went off. She hit the snooze button before she sat up in bed and rubbed her eyes. She yawned before she slipped out of her bed and got ready to go to school. As she walked downstairs, she saw that her father was watching the news.

"...today is a monumental occasion as leaders from the magical community have been allowed to meet at the United Nations Headquarters in New York," A news reporter said as they stood in front of Parliament, "This marks the first time that the nations have agreed to let the leaders of the magical community to attend a conference."

"The main goal of the conference is to find a way to end the tense relationships we have with the magical community." The reporter continued, "Though that may be somewhat of an uphill battle, as not everyone is content with the goals of the UN."

The reporter pointed to the crowd of people that were behind them. The crowd was holding up picket signs that read 'No Freaks Allowed', 'For the Sake of Normal People', and 'Remember what they've done!'

"As you can see..." The reporter said, "Many protestors have gathered at the parliament."

"The protestors have not resorted to violence, but guards have been stationed at the parliament in case a riot breaks out," The reporter continued, "We had the...pleasure of interviewing one of the protestors, though they wished to remain anonymous, we'll show you what they had to say."

"You have to understand that we aren't going to roll over and welcome the wizards," A figure drenched in darkness said, "They're...unnatural beings who have control over something as abstract as magic."

"They've even mastered a way to time travel," The figure continued, "We aren't even close to achieving time travel, and they can change matter at will! How can we hope to compete with them? What if they try to enslave us? We barely got through the last war, what can we do to stand up to the likes of wizards?"

"Another war and the possibility of being enslaved seems to be the main fear of a majority of the citizens." The reporter said as the camera feed switched back to them, "A recent poll showed that 65% percent of the populace are against the UN conference that will be held today, and 35% believe that the conference is necessary."

"In terms of shortening the divide between the wizards and 'normal' people, 95% of the population believes that we will never get over our differences, while the remaining 5% believes that if we try, we can overcome our differences." The reporter said, "As you can see, the previous war with the wizards is still fresh on many people's minds, and naturally they are a bit hesitant to trust the wizards."

"In response to these tensions, both the UN and the magical communities have handpicked security forces to respond to any threat that may be present inside or outside of the building." The reporter continued, "Our reporters in New York will keep you updated on the progress of the conference, for now we'll be signing out."

"Well the roads are certainly going to be busy today," Hermione's father said as he turned off the television, he blinked as he saw Hermione standing behind him, "Oh I didn't notice you, are you ready to go to school Hermione?"

"I've been ready for a long time," Hermione said, "I tried to get your attention, but you were so focused on the news that you didn't even hear me."

"Sorry Hermione," Hermione's father sheepishly said, "It's interesting that the UN is going through with meeting the wizards, you'd never imagine that this would be possible sixteen years ago."

"It doesn't seem like people are happy about it." Hermione said.

"No, they aren't," Hermione's father said, "Many people lost their lives in the war, in away some of the people lashing out at the government are still grieving over their dead loved ones, the UN conference is opening old wounds."

"You were in the war, so how do you feel about it?" Hermione asked.

"Me? Well I was a medic, so I never had to fight," Hermione's father said, "I'm a bit neutral, I can understand both sides, but I'd rather not involve myself in the politics."

"Anyway, we need to get going, you're late for class." Hermione's father said as he stood up and grabbed his car keys. Hermione followed her father out the door, and her father drove her to school. On the way to school, she saw several people outside with the same picket signs as the protesters that had been shown on the news.

"Hermione."

Hermione blinked and looked back to her father who was focusing on the road.

"Be careful on your way home from school," Her father said, "Your mother and I will be at work a bit later than usual."

"Okay." Hermione said, "When will you be back home?"

"We'll be back by around nine o' clock." Hermione's father said as he pulled into Hermione's school's parking lot, "We'll be back just in time to celebrate your eighteenth birthday."

"So, is there anywhere special you want go to for your birthday?" Hermione's father asked.

"No, I think it'd be fine if we just did the same thing we did for my last birthday." Hermione said.

"Well that'd be no fun," Hermione's father said, "It's your eighteenth birthday, we should do something special before you head off to college. Why don't we go out to eat at some fancy restaurant?"

"I'll think about it." Hermione said as she grabbed her things and got out of the car, "I'll see you when you get home!"

"Have a great day at school Hermione!" Her father shouted, "I love you!"

"I love you too!" Hermione shouted as her father drove away. She slung her bag over her shoulder and entered the building, ready for yet another normal school day...

.

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The Great Hall was oddly silent this morning, though Harry could see that some of the students were talking to each other in hushed tones. Everyone seemed to be on edge, and he couldn't blame them, he knew that many of his classmates had been killed in the war with the muggles. To suddenly try to bridge a friendly connection with the muggles...not everyone was pleased with the ministry's decision. Harry hadn't had the most pleasant experience with muggles. Though that was mainly because whenever his Aunt, Uncle, and cousin showed up at his parent's home, they had an air of superiority that they liked to keep up. Sometimes they would bring his Uncle's sister along with her dog, and things would degrade from there. Whenever his relatives showed up, they always seemed to be judging them for having magic, his Aunt would never hesitate to spit out thinly barbed insults at his mother. His father would usually rise to his Aunt's bait, but his mother never reacted in the way his Aunt would want her to, which would make his Aunt even angrier.

Harry didn't know why his mother even bothered to invite their relatives; he'd never asked though because he felt that was a subject that he shouldn't approach. Regardless, even though his relatives were awful people, he didn't hate muggles. His grandparents were proof that not all muggles felt the same way as his Aunt, Uncle, and his cousin. His mother had also been raised as a muggle before she found out that she was a witch, hating muggles would be the same thing as hating his own family.

"Hey Harry," Harry turned around to see that Ron Weasley, his best friend, was walking towards the table. "It's kind of empty in here, isn't it?"

"Most of the muggleborns are eating in their common rooms," Harry said, "It's probably safer for them to stay out of sight right now."

"Maybe you're right..." Ron said, "How are your Dad and Sirius doing? They're at that UN building right?"

"Sirius has been sending me letters since he got assigned to inspect the building," Harry said, "Moody's being a real slave driver apparently."

"Really?"

"Yeah, he's having them triple check sectors of the building that he's assigned for them," Harry said, "He assigned a sector for himself to check, Moody got pissed at Sirius when he went into his sector to ask for a break."

"Well you know how he is," Ron said, "He's all about 'Constant Vigilance'."

"Yeah..."

"Hey, you know the Slytherin's have been quieter than usual," Ron said as he looked at the Slytherin table, "It's different from how they've been this entire week."

Harry had to agree, ever since the news had come out that the minister would be attending the UN conference, the Slytherins had been causing 'accidents' for the muggleborn students. Such as 'accidentally' causing some of the students to fall down the stairs or 'accidentally' hitting beaters towards the muggleborns on quidditch teams. Everyone knew what they were doing, but the 'accidents' the caused made it difficult to prove that they caused the 'accidents' on purpose. But today, the Slytherin's were oddly quiet. They seemed to be rather shaken as well, but Harry didn't have a clue as to what could have rattled them so much.

"I haven't seen Malfoy today," Harry said, "You'd think that he'd show up by now."

"Well-"

"Why are you two just sitting here?" A prefect, whose name Harry could not remember, said. "Class starts in a few minutes, get going already!"

"Fine we're going," Ron said, and he and Harry got up from their seats before leaving the Great Hall.

"That guy is just as annoying as Percy..." Ron muttered as they walked to their class with Quirrell. Ron stopped walking and frowned before he turned back to Harry. "Hey, do you hear that?"

"...told...that...port..."

"I hear it too," Harry said, "It sounds like someone's talking."

Harry and Ron rounded the corner to see Draco Malfoy talking with a person wearing a dark cloak. The two were talking in hushed tones.

"I wonder what they're saying?" Ron wondered aloud, "I don't think I've ever seen that person here before."

"We should get a bit closer," Harry said, "We might hear what they're saying."

Draco handed the figure what looked like a small package. He seemed a bit nervous holding onto the package, and he was visibly relieved when the person in the cloak. The person in the cloak pocketed the bomb, and then looked up to spot Harry and Ron. Draco looked at the two of them and sneered.

"Really Potter? Weasley? You're going to spy on me?" Draco asked, "When you do that, it makes you look like little kids, normal adults don't eavesdrop on someone when they're having a conversation."

"Who's that behind you Malfoy?" Harry asked.

"Wouldn't you like to know," Draco said, "I don't see why I have to tell you anything."

"That's remarkably petty of you Malfoy," Harry said, "Are you sure you aren't acting like a kid right now?"

"Well I-"

"What are you three doing here?" Harry heard someone asked. Professor Quirrell frowned at the three of them as he walked towards them. "You three are supposed to be in class, when I called roll the three of you were absent."

"Well that's because we wanted to know who Malfoy was talking to." Ron said, "He was talking to someone in a black cloak."

"He was?" Professor Quirrell said as he looked at Draco, "Where did they go?"

"They're right...there?" Ron blinked as the person Draco had been talking to had suddenly disappeared. "Where did they go?"

"I don't see anyone else but you three Mr. Weasley," Professor Quirrell said, "Are you sure you aren't imagining things?"

"But we-"

"Regardless, you three should get to class," Professor Quirrell said, "Otherwise, I'll dock off 100 points from both Gryffindor and Slytherin."

"You heard what the Professor said," Draco smirked at the two of them, "We should get to class."

Ron and Harry frowned, but the two of them followed the Professor and Draco to class. Harry stopped and turned around.

"What's wrong?" Ron asked.

"I thought I heard someone laugh just now..." Harry said.

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"Alright class, open your history books and turn to page 115." Hermione's history teacher said. Hermione's classmates groaned and her teacher frowned. "If you didn't want to learn history, you shouldn't have signed up for history class."

"But most of us already know about what happened in the war!" a student shouted, "Why do we have to learn it again?!"

"They say that those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it," the teacher said, "And I say that if you don't want to fail this class, you're going to have to learn from history."

"Ugh..."

"Now then I suppose I should start off with why the war started," the teacher said, "In 1969, a bartender called the police due to one of his patrons starting a fight when they were drunk."

"The police arrived at the bar and attempted to calm the man down and arrest him." the teacher continued, "The man didn't take the officers seriously, and so he brandished his wand and attacked the officers with magic."

"The officers were caught by surprise, and three of them were killed while two others were wounded." the teacher continued, "One of the officers managed to disable the wizard, and he was brought to the police station for questioning."

"They found out that the man had been barred from the pubs he usually drank at, so he had gone to a bar where he could drink himself stupidly drunk." the teacher continued, "The officers held him in custody for a few days, one day a messenger from the Magical Ministry arrived by apparating near the station."

"One of the officers who had been wounded by the drunk wizard saw the messenger and assumed that the messenger was there to free the wizard in custody." the teacher continued, "He fired a warning shot, and the messenger assumed that the officer was attempting to kill them. The messenger fled back to the ministry and told them what had happened."

"The ministry then demanded that both the wizard who was in custody and the man who had fired at the messenger should be turned over to them." the teacher continued, "The government refused to comply with their demands, and soon war broke out."

"At first the war was between the two sides, but as the war raged on more nations took notice and they sent their own soldiers to help Britain." the teacher continued, "In response, the magical communities around the world sent their own soldiers to help the magical side of Britain, triggering the Third World War."

"The war lasted from 1969 to 1980, when both sides decided to call a ceasefire after spending more than a decade fighting each other. The amount of losses both sides suffered was massive, and the nations did not want the death toll to continue to rise." The teacher concluded, "Which is why the UN conference today is so important, it is necessary to prevent another war."

The teacher frowned as she looked at the students who had fallen asleep.

"I hope you all know that we'll have a test covering this chapter next week," She said, "So for those of you who are asleep, I hope you'll at least try to study."

"The UN conference should be starting now, right?" One of the students who had remained awake said, "Are we going to watch it?"

"Yes, for the last thirty minutes of class we'll be watching the conference," the teacher said as she turned on the television in the room and flipped off the lights.

"Good afternoon everyone!" A news reporter shouted as she stood in front of the UN headquarters in New York, "The conference is about to begin, and all of the current members of the UN are accounted for."

"We'll be heading inside the building to...that's strange." The news reporter cut herself off and looked at the people who had suddenly started to rush out of the building. "Why is everyone run-"

Fire burst out from the windows of the UN building as the building exploded, the blast swallowed up everything within a mile radius, and soon the video feed was cut off. The camera then switched back to the news anchors who were stunned into silence.

"B-breaking news," One of the anchors said as the news crew handed the anchors a sheet of paper, "The UN headquarters has been destroyed in what we are assuming is a terrorist attack."

"We are unsure if there are any survivors," the other anchor said, "We will keep you updated, for now we have to sign out!"

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"So the muggles have done it," Dolores Umbridge said to the ministry staff as they sat in the minister's office, "I tried to warn Cornelius not to trust the muggles, but it appears as though the dreams Dumbledore filled his head with overrode his common sense."

"What do we do now?" a staff member said, "We don't have someone suitable enough to replace the minister."

"Are you blind?" Dolores asked the staff member, "We do have someone suitable enough to replace him; me."

"O-Oh I d-didn't mean to offend you Miss Umbridge," the staff member stuttered, "Truly you are the only one worthy enough to take up the minister's duties."

"You idiot we have rules to follow, I can't be the minister until I am sworn in," Umbridge scowled, "However due to a law I had Cornelius sign into effect before his untimely demise, I can be the acting minister until a new one is sworn into office."

"So... what do we do now?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Umbridge asked, "The muggles have killed our minister, and they sacrificed their own leaders in an attempt to cripple us."

"There's only one proper response to a barbaric attack like this," she sneered "We'll give the muggles what they so desperately want."

"And what do they want?" a staff member asked.

"War."


End file.
